With increasing development and cost-effectiveness of the network technology, instant message software now rapidly gaining in popularity. For example, the well-known instant message software such as MSN Messenger, Skype, Yahoo Messenger and the like becomes the popular instant message tool. Such instant message software usually has a voice chat function. For most users, many different instant message tools are used to execute the voice chat function.
Although many different instant message tools installed in a same computer system provide diversity of executing the voice chat function, there are still some drawbacks. For example, when a remote user sends a chat invitation to a local user, the local user should find out the corresponding instant message tool at first. When the local user is invited to chat, a chat window is displayed on the computer screen. Next, the chat window is used as the foreground window, and then the local user may trigger a confirmation key on the foreground window to have the instant message software execute the voice chat function. That is, the procedure of executing the voice chat function by a specified instant message tool is both complicated and time-consuming.
Moreover, before the voice chat function is executed, the audio device should have been previously defined, which is also troublesome. Typically, there are two approaches of switching the audio device. The first approach defines or switches the audio device via the operation system of the computer. After the audio device is defined or switched, the instant message tools should be rebooted. The second approach defines or switches the audio device via the functional option menu provided by the instant message tools. If a voice chat is proceeding, the procedure of switching the audio device is not permitted. In other words, the voice chat needs to be terminated in order to switch the audio device. Therefore, such an approach is very inconvenient.
As known, the commercial audio devices for voice chat include for example bluetooth earphones, USB phones and the like. Unlike the conventional mobile phone, the instant message tools fail to be directly used with the Bluetooth device to respond the chat invitation or have a chat. In other words, the bluetooth earphones can be used as the general audio devices. After the Bluetooth connection software is executed, the bluetooth earphone is communicated with the computer. Then, the bluetooth earphone is defined or switched as the audio device by the above-mentioned inconvenient approaches.
In views of the above-described disadvantages resulted from the prior art, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to develop an instant message audio connection management system and method according to the present invention through wholehearted experience and research.